Not All Treasure Is Gold
by Riku-Rocks
Summary: Sometimes it is silver, and while in Port Royal, Sora finds that there might be an easier way to find that which he seeks, if only a certain pirate can be persuaded to make a barter. An AU KHII scene for Super Pup. I do not own KH. Spoilers. No pairings.


Sora glanced around the expanse of the cove and the forgotten ship. Donald and Goofy were happily looking through the spread of shining jewels and coins, while Jack was muttering to himself while striking at the iron lock that prevented access to the moored ship's hold. The spiky-haired teen himself was decidedly less interested in the mounds of treasure.

The cerulean-eyed adolescent had started out just as enthusiastic as the others were (more so in Goofy's case), however he had been quickly weighed down by the feeling that something was missing.

Suddenly, he noticed Jack's compass dangling form his belt and an idea began to form in his mind. "Hey, Jack…?"

The captain turned from the door and swayed a bit, "Aye, mate?"

The boy indicated the compass lying against Jack's hip. "That compass of yours…how does it work? I thought it just found the Isla De Muerta."

"Obviously you thought wrong." Jack grinned, "You see, it found the Isla De Muerta because that's what I wanted at the time…savvy?"

Sora nodded; clearly, that was exactly what he had hoped to hear. "So…does if find anything you ask it to?"

"It finds whatever its holder desires the most," replied the captain as he located a crowbar and turned back to the door.

"…And it can find anything for anyone?" questioned the cerulean-eyed teen.

"Aye," replied Jack, looking irritated as the door still refused to open. "Of course that isn't nearly so helpful when the bloody thing you desire most is locked behind an iron door…"

Sora looked thoughtful as the raven-haired man attempted picking the lock, to no avail, "How about a trade then?"

Jack froze and turned to Sora with a perplexed expression, "Beg your pardon?"

The Keybearer grinned and indicated the locked door. "I'll unlock that door -and any chests inside the hold- for you if you give me the compass."

"No deal, mate," replied Jack. "I can get this door opened eventually all by me onesy and I have plans for this compass later on."

The teenager frowned, and then perked up slightly. "Okay then, how about if I open it for you now -since it'll be a lot faster than you trying to do it on your own- and then you let me borrow the compass for a while…just until I find what I'm looking for…deal?"

The captain seemed to weigh this proposition for a moment. "So…I get this treasure now and for always and you only get me compass temporarily…?"

Sora nodded, "Yep."

Jack seemed to ponder this again and then looked at Sora suspiciously. "What's to say you won't turn back on your end and keep me compass once you find your treasure?"

The spiky-haired boy frowned and furrowed his brows, "I wouldn't do that!"

The pirate shrugged, "I would."

"I'm not a pirate," Sora protested.

"Aye, but you're rather fond of the idea, mate," replied Captain Sparrow with a smirk.

The teen's eyes grew thoughtful as he wracked his mind for something to prove his intentions…or to even the field. He reached into his pocked and pulled out a small object. After another brief moment of thought, he held up Kairi's good luck charm. The captain's dark eyes studied it curiously for a moment before Sora spoke again.

"This is very important to me. I promised the person who gave it to me that I would bring it back to her."

Jack nodded, "Ah, and would that lass be the one you're so obsessed with finding, mate?"

"No," Sora shook his head and the captain's smile faded to a puzzled expression. "That was the last trip…and I wasn't even the one to find her. This time there isn't anyone to find the one who's lost if I don't…and he's just as important to me as the girl who gave me this."

"Not to seem insensitive mate, but where are you going with all this talk?" questioned the raven-haired pirate.

The spiky-haired boy took a deep breath and nodded once, as though making a decision. "The deal would be the same as before, but to prove that I'm coming back, I'll leave this with you. After I find the one I'm looking for, we'll trade back." The boy held out the keychain, "But you better not let anything happen to this or I'll go Anti-Form on you, got it?"

Jack nodded his head in what almost could have passed for a small bow; "Got it."

Sora nodded, "So do we have a deal?"

The captain glanced from Sora's face, to the keychain, to the door he could not open, and then seemed pensive for a moment before nodding once and holding out his hand. "Throw in your share of the rum we pilfered on the way here, and we have an accord."

The teenager smiled and grabbed his hand, "Alright!"

Jack stepped aside and waved to the door in a sweeping gesture, "Now, unlock the door, if you please."

Smile still in place, Sora summoned his Keyblade and unlocked the door. Then he offered Jack a cocky smile.

The captain arched an eyebrow, "Now there's a nifty trick…"

The pirate entered the hold, followed by Sora and Donald. There were several chests and trunks inside, along with some rolls of silk, weapons, paintings, and some armour. The raven-haired man muttered to himself as Sora began unlocking the chests. "Now which one of these holds that sodding map…?"

Sora shrugged and finished unlocking all of the chests, and then he turned to Jack, "Hey, can I see that compass now?"

The pirate handed over the compass distractedly and Sora looked it over without opening it for a moment. After using the Keyblade, he was a bit disappointed at the lack of flashing lights or mystical winds when it passed hands.

Shrugging off the thought, the spiky-haired boy clasped the compass in both hands and squeezed his eyes closed in concentration. "Point to Riku, point to Riku, point to Riku…"

"Er, Zora…what are you doing?" asked Jack, ignoring Donald as he irritably corrected him on the teen's name.

"Uh…I was letting it know what I wanted it to find," replied the teenager.

"You don't tell it what you want," stated the captain. "It just knows what your truest desire is…the real question is; do you?"

"Yeah," answered Sora without any sign of hesitation. "I want to find Riku, so we can finish off this stupid Organisation and then go home together. Mostly though, I just want to find him."

"How is it you lost him to begin with?" questioned Jack as he started looking through another chest.

"It's a long story, but he got trapped in the realm of darkness. I'm pretty sure he got out on his own, but now I don't know where he is or how he is…" Sora looked down and wore a sad smile. "He's better at handling things alone than I am though…plus he's really good at hiding and he usually knows when to run."

The pirate stopped searching through the treasure for a moment and turned to look at Sora. "And what makes you so sure he wants to be found?"

Cerulean eyes blinked and then the boy raised his head to look at the raven-haired man. "Why wouldn't he want me to find him?"

"Sometimes a lad goes out to sea for the first time, and he just can't settle down on land again, mate," stated the pirate with an oddly knowing quality to his eyes. "He's not happy unless he's heading for that horizon. If your friend is as good as you say, then I can only see three reasons why he wouldn't have come back on his lonesome; he's not as safe and sound as you seem to think, he's found something that most would need that compass for, or he's reaching for his own horizon."

A heavy silence fell over the teenager as he thought over the man's words. "He wasn't very happy on the islands before we got separated…"

Sora looked away and then glanced at the compass pensively. Finally, he took a deep breath before speaking again with a determined tone. "I have to find him. I have to make sure he's okay. He'd do the same for me. Once I know that he's all right, if he doesn't want to come home…we'll deal with that then. First, I have to find him."

Jack smiled as he pulled a large, rolled piece of parchment from the trunk he had moved onto, and then he quickly turned and faced Sora again. "Well, best of luck to you then…I assume you'll be wanting to get a move on? Don't forget to bring back me compass and do not lose it."

"The same goes for Kairi's charm," replied Sora after recovering himself from his thoughts.

The captain made an odd sound of acknowledgement before passing by with his map, humming 'A Pirate's Life for Me'.

Sora opened the borrowed compass and watched as the needle spun around for a moment before settling, pointing to a shadowy cavern behind the teen.

The boy blinked, "Okay, now I need to find a regular working compass so I know what direction to set into the nav-system when we get aboard the Gummi ship."

A few weeks later, Sora, Donald, and Goofy returned to Port Royal when the Keyblade led them back there, and the boy returned the compass claiming that it did not work. No matter where he used it, it always just pointed somewhere behind him.

It was not until after Sora and his best friend were reunited, and Goofy later made a comment that the silvered one always seemed to be watching Sora's back, that the teen realised the compass had been working all along.


End file.
